The Ice Skating Association of India organised a three-day National Ice Skating Championship at the country’s first all-year ice skating rink, iSkate, located in Ambience Mall in Gurgaon that began on Friday.

The rink has seen many mall-goers indulge in a bit of fun and has become a popular hangout after it was used as a location for shooting movies like Speedy Singhs , Anjana Anjaani and Happy New Year .

The facility has seen many Delhiites tryout the sport for the first time and has gone beyond just a place for a fun to a place that hosts national level competitions and provides training to young skaters looking to compete.

In the “Blades for Glory, National Ice Skating Championship”, athletes competed in 27 events including short track speed skating, figure skating and free style.

There were separate events for boys and girls, and age groups were divided as under-19, under-13, 14-19 and above-19 for most events. The athletes also got an opportunity to develop and polish their skills in flexibility, jump and spins, crossovers, spiral and enhancement of posture under guidance of national-level trainers from India and Russia.

Ankur Bhatia, promoter for iSkate, said the rink trains children and adults, and holds numerous CSR activities like national training camps and Special Bharat Olympics. He hoped that the event will promote ice skating and open the doors for talented and aspiring athletes to international events.